Major Microsoft hardware partner Lenovo will pull its 8-inch Windows tablets from the U.S. market, the Chinese company said Wednesday, citing lack of demand for smaller touchscreen devices running Microsoft's controversial Windows 8 operating system.

Lenovo will continue to offer its larger 10- and 12-inch Windows tablets in America, according toPC World, as U.S. consumers have shown "stronger interest" in those devices. Remaining stock of the 8-inch variants will be diverted to markets in South America and Asia.

"In other markets, particularly Brazil, China, and Japan, the demand for ThinkPad 8 has been much stronger, so we are adjusting our ThinkPad 8 inventories to meet increasing demand in those markets. If market demand for ThinkPad 8 changes, we will re-evaluate our strategy," Lenovo spokesperson Raymond Gorman told the publication.

Apple's iPad mini presents stiff competition for tablet makers seeking to persuade consumers to invest in both a smartphone and a small tablet, especially as so-called "phablets" -- smartphones with displays nearly the size of a tablet -- gain in popularity.

The same market conditions that lead to Lenovo's move may have convinced Microsoft not to release a smaller tablet of its own. The Redmond, Wash.-based company was widely expected to unveil an ARM-powered "Surface Mini" earlier this month, and though the device never materialized, references found in the user manual for the new Surface Pro 3 suggest that the more diminutive version was scrapped late in development.

Lenovo's news adds to what has been a bleak month for Microsoft as it seeks to reinvent itself under new CEO Satya Nadella. Earlier this week, the company announced the largest round of layoffs in its history, shedding some 12,500 jobs from its Nokia unit and 5,500 positions from other departments.

Update: In a statement posted to its website following Friday's report, Lenovo clarified that it will not abandon the U.S. market for small-screen Windows tablets.

We will continue to bring new Windows devices to market across different screen sizes, including a new 8-inch tablet and 10-inch tablet coming this holiday. Our model mix changes as per customer demand, and although we are no longer selling ThinkPad 8 in the U.S., and we have sold out of Miix 8-inch, we are

not getting out of the small-screen Windows tablet business as was reported by the media. In short, we will continue to sell both 8 and 10 inch Windows tablets in both the U.S. and non-U.S markets.

I was going to say ... "Lenovo's news adds to what has been a bleak month for Microsoft as it seeks to reinvent itself under new CEO Satya Nadell," but Kasper's slave said all ready.

A few folks have suggested that Microsoft go back to being a software only company in the last day or so, and pull out of hardware. This points to the fact if they did they'd be up a creak without a paddle. Someone has to make the hardware for their crap OS so as to be able to fill storage areas and land fills. If not Microsoft, who else?

From Apple ][ - to new Mac Pro I've owned them all.Long on AAPL so biased"Google doesn't sell you anything, Google just sells you!"

maybe I missed it but where did Lenovo say it is discontinuing smaller Windows tablets in the US because of the iPad? Or is AI just assuming that's the reason why?

It's a logical deduction since that's the market space. Some companies are selling lots of small tablets. Others are not. They are competing for a slice of that particular pie and they are losing based on poor sales.

It's an elementary notion of the free market economy.

It can be applied to pizzas, toilet paper, candles, whatever.

Lenovo doesn't necessary have to admit it in an official press release for it to be true.

In the same way, Blockbuster doesn't have to state in a press release that Netflix crushed them.

If you wish to understand business better, you should familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the free market economy as well as the notion of competition. This knowledge can also help you in other areas, such as investing.

Will the iMac ever be radically redesigned, or has it reached the point of perfection for its genre?

When OS XI comes out, the iMac design will just slide down in front of us on our desks. The stand will be redesigned to make moving from a vertical to horizontal workspace effortless, but the body is about as good as it will ever be.

It's a logical deduction since that's the market space. Some companies are selling lots of small tablets. Others are not. They are competing for a slice of that particular pie and they are losing based on poor sales.

It's an elementary notion of the free market economy.

It can be applied to pizzas, toilet paper, candles, whatever.

Lenovo doesn't necessary have to admit it in an official press release for it to be true.

In the same way, Blockbuster doesn't have to state in a press release that Netflix crushed them.

If you wish to understand business better, you should familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the free market economy as well as the notion of competition. This knowledge can also help you in other areas, such as investing.

Excuse me? Apple's iPad sales have basically been flat for several quarters now. Analyst consensus this quarter is more of the same. One could argue the Apple/IBM partnership is partially to help increase iPad sales. Since the iPad mini existed before these 8" Windows 8 tablets I don't agree it's a logical deduction. My deduction would be the larger Windows 8 tablets having success are the 2-1 devices and they're mostly being used as laptops.

This might be a "Windows thing" as Lenovo isn't cutting any of their small Android tablet offerings. From another Apple fan site:

"...the company’s Android efforts will continue. The computer maker currently offers five Android-powered slates under 10 inches on its website and it’s possible that these numbers could go up once its deal with Google comes to a close. It’s too early to determine exactly how big of an impact Lenovo’s decision will have on the tablet market as a whole, but from the look of things, Microsoft’s loss will likely be Google’s gain."

Excuse me? Apple's iPad sales have basically been flat for several quarters now. Analyst consensus this quarter is more of the same. One could argue the Apple/IBM partnership is partially to help increase iPad sales. Since the iPad mini existed before these 8" Windows 8 tablets I don't agree it's a logical deduction. My deduction would be the larger Windows 8 tablets having success are the 2-1 devices and they're mostly being used as laptops.

Whether or not the market space is growing is irrelevant.

The fact that Lenovo is not selling many of their smaller Windows tablets in the US market. There is little demand for their devices from the US audience whereas Apple sells lots of them. Note that Lenovo claims the smaller Windows device is more successful elsewhere and that sales of their 7-inch and 8-inch Android tablets are good.

There are regional differences in terms of customer interest for the planet. The product mix in one area may be considerably different than somewhere else.

The fact that the iPad mini existed first doesn't matter. Competition can come from a newcomer in the form of a new product that has significant differentiation than existing products. Just ask BlackBerry.

In business, competitors can enter and exit at any time. It's not a track meet with starting blocks and a finish line.

This might be a "Windows thing" as Lenovo isn't cutting any of their small Android tablet offerings. From another Apple fan site:

"...the company’s Android efforts will continue. The computer maker currently offers five Android-powered slates under 10 inches on its website and it’s possible that these numbers could go up once its deal with Google comes to a close. It’s too early to determine exactly how big of an impact Lenovo’s decision will have on the tablet market as a whole, but from the look of things, Microsoft’s loss will likely be Google’s gain."

Interestingly I see more MS Surfaces in public than I do Android tablets.

This bot has been removed from circulation due to a malfunctioning morality chip.

The fact that Lenovo is not selling many of their smaller Windows tablets in the US market. There is little demand for their devices from the US audience whereas Apple sells lots of them. Note that Lenovo claims the smaller Windows device is more successful elsewhere and that sales of their 7-inch and 8-inch Android tablets are good.

There are regional differences in terms of customer interest for the planet. The product mix in one area may be considerably different than somewhere else.

The fact that the iPad mini existed first doesn't matter. Competition can come from a newcomer in the form of a new product that has significant differentiation than existing products. Just ask BlackBerry.

In business, competitors can enter and exit at any time. It's not a track meet with starting blocks and a finish line.

Still that shouldn't be in the headline unless AI has data to support it. The iPad mini isn't a new product. Lenovo would/should have known the US market not to introduce a product they knew couldn't compete (assuming iPad is the reason).

Careful, my son....Or God may turn your jawbone into an ass! Hmmmm. I think that's how it goes?

What's my Bluetooth headset got to do with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

When OS XI comes out, the iMac design will just slide down in front of us on our desks. The stand will be redesigned to make moving from a vertical to horizontal workspace effortless, but the body is about as good as it will ever be.

Apple's turning it up to 11!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatorguy

This might be a "Windows thing" as Lenovo isn't cutting any of their small Android tablet offerings. From another Apple fan site:

"...the company’s Android efforts will continue. The computer maker currently offers five Android-powered slates under 10 inches on its website and it’s possible that these numbers could go up once its deal with Google comes to a close. It’s too early to determine exactly how big of an impact Lenovo’s decision will have on the tablet market as a whole, but from the look of things, Microsoft’s loss will likely be Google’s gain."

Android is free. Windows is not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogifan

Still that shouldn't be in the headline unless AI has data to support it. The iPad mini isn't a new product. Lenovo would/should have known the US market not to introduce a product they knew couldn't compete (assuming iPad is the reason).

Tablets have been a niche. They are too big to be really mobile, mobile phones do 100% of what tablets do, just smaller, and there is just too much 'windows' in the world for work to be done on them.

The iPad Mini was Apple's feint to the gap between the 10" iPad, and the 4" iPhone, a gap that Android was making millions of sales into. the Mini closed that gap (along with the crapware Android tablets). a 5ish in iPhone will close it further

A late stage small format windows tablet had no chance. Microsoft wasn't building Windows to scale down, and it's millions of input options made it more sucky than windows on a laptop, where at least it was optimized for that small set of inputs (and lenovo's nipple and 4 sets of buttons still suck... gawd I hate the nipple). a full size surface/win-tab is at least a decent looking thing. Lenovo came late to the market and brought a 14" broken down to 8" knife laptop OS on a crapware HW platform to a gun fight where 8 and 10" rule. Ain't gonna fly.

And since the only tablet of that <9" form factor that was selling (profitably) was the Mini, and then BAM, the Mini RD came out with 'same specs' as the iPad Air.... Lenovo had no space to run to.... it had to get out.

As for the tablet market... yep, it's flat. Part of that is the internet... I'm still running on an iPad2 (sold my MBP in fact, so it's a mac mini or a ipad, or my work windows laptop), because as long as my internet is fast, I really don't need more iPad. I feel the refresh cycles on the iPad will be 3+ years, longer than a laptop (less breakage), and longer than an Iphone (less breakage and less demand for better battery better LTE, lighter, more mobile capabilities [m7, mobile payments].

Thus... I think iOS8 will be a turning point for tablet sales... they will be able to do more, be more laptopish, a better game console, and a better business tool. IBM moving software to them in the enterprise, and Microsoft putting efforts in Office on the iPad bode well for the next refresh cycle. IT will slowly begin to be removed from the controls of the MCSEs who feel their control slipping away, and put back into the business.

The fact that Lenovo is not selling many of their smaller Windows tablets in the US market. There is little demand for their devices from the US audience whereas Apple sells lots of them. Note that Lenovo claims the smaller Windows device is more successful elsewhere and that sales of their 7-inch and 8-inch Android tablets are good.

There are regional differences in terms of customer interest for the planet. The product mix in one area may be considerably different than somewhere else.

I have one, the ThinkPad 8. Though I like it a lot I will probably sell it now since I have a Surface Pro 3, there is no need for two Windows 8 tablets. Lenovo is a really popular brand here in Switzerland, the ThinkPad 8 is even sold at our Post office, that's where I bought mine, went to ship a care package to my daughter when she was studying English in England for a month, came out with a new toy. So I think the availability, pretty much every computer store small or large sells them, has a lot to do with why they are selling here. I don't know what the situation is like in US but I think Lenovo makes most of their sells through the web. Places like BestBuy only carry the Mix series in their stores, at least according to their website.

I don't think it has anything to do with the size of the tablet as Dell seems to be selling their Dell Venue 8 Pro's with some success but again I think this has a lot to do with availability as they can be found almost everywhere, Costco, SamsClub, BestBuy, Microsoft Store Outlets, etc., also probably that their cheap, 222.00 dollars for 32GB and the 64GB version costs 275.00 dollars.

The iPad is a good tablet, it's the best selling gadget of all time next to the iPhone but that doesn't mean I want to see companies throwing in the towel with their tablets. We need more competition not less, I'm really hoping someone will come up with a new tablet OS that will rejuvenate the competitions offerings. Though I like Windows 8 it's more then apparent it's no match for iOS, Android tablets are selling okay and I have high hopes for the new L release of Android but it's more then likely most companies will still continue using their ugly, bastardized, sluggish versions that they continue to force down peoples throats, so what's left? This is a dark time, it seems like everyone has given up trying to compete with Apple or are settling with just having something that sells but no is innovating anymore when it comes to the mobile OS. Maybe Ubuntu Touch will be my night in shining armor but they have a llloooooonnnnggg way to go before it's ready.

When I looked up "Ninjas" in Thesaurus.com, it said "Ninja's can't be found" Well played Ninjas, well played.